Garrett Wilson NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6′-0″
Weight: 183 pounds
School: Ohio State
Garrett Wilson 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After spending three years with Ohio State, wide receiver Garrett Wilson has decided to skip his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Wilson is coming off yet another fantastic season, recording 70 receptions for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns on 102 targets.
Wilson initially entered the college football ranks as a five-star recruit. Signing with Ohio State, the wideout made an immediate impact as a true freshman, hauling in 30 of his 42 targets for 432 yards and five touchdowns. Wilson improved on his impressive debut in 2020, breaking out to the tune of 43 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games.
Strengths
- Creates separation with ease at the top of his routes;
- Phenomenal catch radius – hauls in anything thrown anywhere near him;
- Reliable hands with minimal drops over the years;
- Amazing start-stop ability with unmatched lateral agility;
- Elite combination of speed and quickness makes him a dangerous threat after the catch;
- Statistical profile is impressive – contributed as a true freshman, broke out as sophomore;
- Fantastic in contested situations thanks to his ability to high point the football;
- Experienced on special teams – could be a solid punt returner.
Weaknesses
- Still a little raw – needs to learn the nuances of the position;
- Release package needs some work – struggles against better press corners;
- Finesse type of route runner that can get knocked off his route a little too easily;
- Wasted motion on routes can lead to errors on timing plays;
- Might have to stay a slot receiver if he can’t add some play strength.
NFL Comparison: Chris Godwin
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, New York Jets
Projection: Top 15 pick
Bottom Line on Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson is a good wide receiver that has a chance to develop into one of the best in the league. The Ohio State product already has a lot of the traits you love to see in a young prospect, with the most important being his ability to gain separation at the top of his routes. Wilson has the type of quickness you simply can’t teach, and cornerbacks of every shape and size will struggle to stay with him right after a cut. Additionally, Wilson’s ability to adjust to off-target passes might just be the best in this class, and his shiftiness combined with his straight-line speed makes him an absolute menace after the catch.
What’s crazy about Wilson is that he has a lot of room for improvement. Wilson struggles with the finer details of the position, most notably toiling to get off the line of scrimmage against press coverage and occasionally getting a little too caught up in his footwork to be at the right place for anticipation throws.
The good news is that these flaws are teachable. An NFL weight program should do wonders for Wilson, and the right coaches could teach him more about the details of the position. If everything breaks right, Wilson has a chance to be one of the best all-around weapons in football. However, even if he doesn’t dramatically improve on his weaknesses, he can still be one of the best slot receivers in the game.
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